Environmentally friendly power generation process

ABSTRACT

A new power generation process where thermal energy can be taken from the air, bodies of water or other heat sources and converted to mechanical energy without generating environmentally harmful emissions is disclosed. This process is based on the use of turbo-expanders, compressors, wet working gases and liquid heat sinks. This process does not employ the Rankine cycle; it does not require the use of a boiler, evaporator or condenser. This process can be practiced from a fixed location or while mobile.

RELATED PATENT APPLICATION DATA

Not Applicable.

FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

SEQUENCE LISTING

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to environmentally friendly power generation.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Presently mankind produces a great deal of mechanical energy usingprocesses that are known to pollute the environment. This problem hasbeen recognized by many and a concerted effort is now being made to usemore environmentally friendly processes such as wind-turbines,hydropower, geothermal heat, and tidal surge. This is a step in theright direction but, all of these processes operate from a fixedlocation and can not directly address the massive amount of pollutioncreated by mobile devices. This invention seeks to resolve these andother problems related to the generation and/or distribution of energy.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

This invention is based on circling a wet gas around a path having acompressor, a liquid dispenser, a turboexpander and a gas-liquidseparator, adding a hot liquid to the wet gas at one or more locationsbetween the exit of the compressor and the exit of the turbo-expanderand removing cold liquid from the wet gas at one or more locationsbetween the exit of the turbo-expander and the exit of the compressor.The cold liquid recovered is sent through a liquid recirculation pump,reheated and returned to the process.

In practice cold wet gas takes on heat as mechanical energy is appliedto compress it and hot wet gas loses heat as it expands and mechanicalenergy is produced. The liquid portion of the wet gas acts as a heatsink and continually seeks temperature equilibration with the gas.

The liquids selected for heat sinks should not change state or under goa chemical reaction at the temperature and pressure combinationsemployed.

DEFINITIONS

A wet gas is a gas or mixture of gases containing one or more liquids.

A turbo-expander is also referred to as a turboexpander or an expansionturbine.

A liquid heat sink is also referred to as a liquid.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the type of equipment needed topractice this invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration a of a theoretical 40 kwatt generatorset where no unwanted heat transfers occur.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of the type of equipment needed topractice this invention. It shows a hot liquid being added at 1 to a hotcompressed wet gas coming from compressor 2 and the resulting liquidenriched wet gas traveling through turbo-expander 3. The cold wet gasleaving the turbo-expander enters a gas-liquid separator 4 were some ofthe cold liquid is recovered and sent through liquid pump 5 then heatexchanger 6 and back to 1. The cold wet gas leaving 4 goes to compressor2 to complete the process cycle. A load device such as an electricgenerator is shown at 7.

Table 1 lists the operation parameters and the work calculations fortheoretical 20 and 40 kwatt generator sets. FIG. 2 is a schematicillustration of the 40 kwatt generator set.

TABLE 1 Generator Set 20 KW 40 KW Operation Parameters of the WorkingGas Maximum Temperature (F.) 35 35 Minimum Temperature (F.) −250 −250Maximum Volume (CFM) 360.00 720.00 Minimum Volume (CFM) 50.00 100.00Minimum Pressure (Atm.) 1.2560 1.2559 Working Gas Argon Argon Heat SinkLiquid Propene Propene Intermediate Calculations Maximum Pressure (Psia)313.5 313.5 Minimum Pressure of (Psia) 18.5 18.5 Work Calculations(Btu./Min.) Isothermal Work Done During 1995 3989 Expansion AdiabaticWork Done During 2506 5011 Expansion Isothermal Work Done During −846−1691 Compression Adiabatic Work Done During −2506 −5011 Compression NetWork 1149 2299 Cold Liquid Flow Rate Gal./Min 0.86 1.71 Hot Liquid FlowRate Gal./Min 1.17 2.33 Liquid Pump Work Amount of liquid to be pumped(gpm) 0.31 0.62 Horsepower 0.27 0.54 Temp. of the Liquid Leaving −250−250 the Expander (° F.) Heat Transfer Loads (Btu/min) Make-up HeatRequired 1138 2276 Temp. of the Liquid Leaving −239 −227 the Liquid Pump(° F.) Work (Hp) Net Work 27.09 54.18 Thermal Fluid Pump Work −0.27−0.54 Net Output 26.83 53.65 Net Output (KW) 20.00 40.00

Together Table 1 and FIG. 2 show:

a) That the adiabatic work done during expansion and compression canceleach other and that the net work produced by the process is due to thedifference between the isothermal processes.

b) That there are no environmental emissions.

c) That the process can be practiced in a fixed location or whilemobile.

d) That the process is easily scalable by simple multiplication.

Table 2 illustrates the effect of varying the pressure of the workinggas through out a process.

TABLE 2 Pressure Multiple 1 2 4 Maximum Pressure (Psia) 313.5 627.11254.1 Minimum Pressure (Psia) 18.5 36.9 73.8 Compression Ratios Volume7.2 7.2 7.2 Pressure 17.0 17.0 17.0 Work (Hp) Net Work 27.09 54.19108.38 Thermal Fluid Pump Work −0.27 −0.94 −3.48 Net Output 26.83 53.25104.90 Net Output (kwatt) 20.00 39.71 78.22

Examination of the data in Table 2 shows that the net work is directlyrelated to the overall pressure in the system and that the gascompression ratios do not change. This is important for equipment sizingand process control.

Table 3 illustrates that it is necessary to pass a diatomic gas throughthe process of this invention twice in order to obtain a temperaturedifference equal to that obtained with a single pass of a noble gas andthat the combined net power output from the diatomic gas is less that ofthe single pass processed noble gas.

TABLE 3 Working Gas Argon Air Air Pass #1 Air Pass #2 OperatingParameters of the Working Gas Maximum Temperature (F.) 35 35 35 −100Minimum Temperature (F.) −250 −250 −100 −250 Working Gas Argon Air AirAir Molecular Weight 39.95 28.95 28.95 28.95 Cp/Cv 1.6670 1.4000 1.40001.4000 Gas Expansion V_(i) (m³) 2.815000 2.815000 4.595000 2.645000P_(i) (kPa) 1086.81 1086.81 388.13 841.00 K 6101447 4628307 32822913282386 Adiabatic Work Done by the 2642563 3077287 1216912 2319257 Gas(J) P_(f) (kPa) 127.21 179.36 127.20 127.20 P_(f) (Psia) 18.46 26.0318.46 18.46 P_(f) (Atm.) 1.256 1.771 1.256 1.256 Temp. (° K.) 116.5164.2 199.8 116.5 T_(f) (° F.) −250.0 −164.0 −100.0 −250.0 GasCompression V_(i) (m³) 5.127000 5.127000 3.141000 5.458000 P_(i) (kPa)252.92 252.92 412.84 237.58 K 3857717 2493428 2049645 2556613 AdiabaticWork Done on the −2642311 −2182289 −1216897 −2319738 Gas (J) P_(f) (kPa)2160.65 1532.40 1259.66 1571.23 P_(f) (Psia) 313.5 222.4 182.8 228.0P_(f) (Atm.) 21.3 15.1 12.4 15.5 Temp. (° K.) 274.8 194.9 274.8 199.8T_(f) (° F.) 35.0 −108.9 35.0 −100.0 Work (Hp) Net Work 27.09 NA 12.8112.96 Thermal Fluid Pump Work −.27 NA −0.18 −0.19 Net Output 26.83 NA12.63 12.77 Net Output (KW) 20.00 NA 9.42 9.52

1. A method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy, thesteps comprising: a) introducing a liquid having a temperature belowthat of an external heat source into a wet gas compressed by at leastone compressor to a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure at sealevel, the output thereof being a liquid-enriched wet gas having apredetermined temperature; b) introducing said liquid-enriched wet gasinto at least one turbo-expander for expanding said liquid-enriched wetgas, the output thereof being mechanical energy and a cooler wet gashaving a temperature lower than said predetermined temperature; c)introducing said cooler wet gas into at least one gas-liquid separatorto separate said cooler wet gas into cold liquid and cold wet gas; d)extracting said cold liquid from said at least one gas-liquid separatorand introducing at least a portion thereof into at least one heatexchanger; e) extracting cold wet gas from said at least one gas-liquidseparator and introducing at least a portion thereof into at least oneof said at least one compressor, the output thereof being compressed wetgas.
 2. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energyin accordance with claim 1, wherein said extracting step (d) isperformed with at least one recirculating liquid pump.
 3. The method ofconverting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance withclaim 1, wherein said liquid in said introducing step (a) has atemperature at least approximately −200° F.
 4. The method of convertingenergy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1,wherein said pressure in said introducing step (a) is a pressure atleast approximately 200 psi.
 5. The method of converting energy in afluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein saidcooler wet gas in said introducing step (b) has a temperature at leastapproximately −300° F.
 6. The method of converting energy in a fluid tomechanical energy in accordance with claim 1, wherein the pressure ofsaid compressed gas in said extracting step (e) is at leastapproximately 100 psi less than that in said introducing step (a). 7.The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy inaccordance with claim 1, wherein said introducing step (a) is performedat at least two locations downstream of said compressor.
 8. The methodof converting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance withclaim 1, wherein said extracting step (d) is performed at at least twolocations downstream of said turbo-expander.
 9. The method of convertingenergy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1,wherein said liquid-enriched wet gas, said cooler wet gas, and said coldwet gas, and compressed gas comprises a noble gas.
 10. The method ofconverting energy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance withclaim 1, wherein said liquid having a predetermined temperature and saidcold liquid comprises at least one liquid chosen from the group:isobutene, propene, and a mixture thereof.
 11. The method of convertingenergy in a fluid to mechanical energy in accordance with claim 1,wherein at least a portion of the mechanical energy produced in saidstep (b) is applied to at least one device for generating another typeof energy.
 12. The method of converting energy in a fluid to mechanicalenergy in accordance with claim 1, wherein at least one turbo-expander,one compressor and one device for producing another type of energy aresealed in a common container to prevent the loss of fluid to theenvironment.